Both men stumbled toward the balcony railing.
Fast, the twins grabbed them by their collars and slung them over the edge together.
Two bodies hit the audience at the same time, and people below screamed.
I reloaded both guns and ran off in Akiro’s direction.
Seconds later, the twins caught up with me.
One twin was bleeding from his shoulder and his cheekbone was swelling purple, but his jaw was set.
The other twin’s throat was already bruising where the man had choked him, a dark band forming across his skin.
But neither of them slowed.
The hallway curved.
Twisted.
Passed a series of locked doors with numbers on them.
Private rooms.
The air smelled like old perfume and cigarette smoke.
A door opened to my left.
A man stepped out, saw us, and reached for his gun.
I shot him in the chest before he cleared the holster.
The fire caught the doorframe.
I rushed on.
Where are you?
I stopped running where the hallway split and looked left, then right.
Come on, you son of a bitch!
I listened.
Nothing.
Akiro's footsteps were gone. He'd made it out.
“Fuck!” I slammed my fist into the wall.
The plaster cracked. My knuckles split open, and blood smeared across the peeling gold wallpaper.
“Maybe this will help.” One of the twins pulled something out of their pocket. “I found this when we were on the stairs.”
I holstered my guns and looked at his hand. “A phone.”
“Could be Akiro's phone.” He gave it to me.
The case was glass, not plastic.
